Arborvitaes have long been a popular choice for homeowners seeking natural privacy screens and windbreaks along property lines. These fast-growing evergreens can transform a bare yard into a secluded retreat in just a few years. However, many arborvitaes were planted too close together or too near the house, without considering how wide and tall they would eventually grow. When these trees become overgrown, diseased, or simply out of place in a redesigned landscape, removal becomes the only practical option. Removing large arborvitaes is not a simple task it requires careful planning, the right tools, and a methodical approach to avoid damaging your property or injuring yourself. Whether you are clearing space for a new garden bed, opening up your home facade, or replacing outdated landscaping, understanding the proper techniques for removing arborvitaes will save you time and frustration. This guide walks through each stage of the process, from calling the utility locator service to restoring the soil for new plantings. For similar heavy-lifting jobs around the yard, learning How To Remove Hardened Mortar From Brick Methods follows the same principle of using the right tool for the specific material.
Before You Start Safety Checks and Site Preparation
The very first step before digging anywhere in your yard is to contact the national call-before-you-dig service by dialing 8-1-1. This free service notifies your local utility companies, who will send someone to mark the locations of underground gas lines, electrical cables, water pipes, and communication lines. Striking a utility line while digging can cause serious injury, expensive repairs, and service disruptions to your neighborhood. Always wait for the utilities to be marked before breaking ground.
Once the utilities are marked, survey the area around the arborvitaes. Identify any plants, shrubs, or flowers that you want to keep but that might get damaged during the removal process. Carefully dig around these desirable plants to preserve their root balls, lift them out of the ground, and transfer them to buckets filled with moist soil for temporary storage. Trim back their branches to just in front of a new shoot; this makes the plants easier to handle and helps them recover more quickly when you replant them later. Clearing the work area of obstacles also provides safe footing when you start cutting and digging. The same preparation mindset applies to other tough outdoor tasks, such as Cleaning Saw Blades How To Remove Pitch Resin And Extend Blade Life, where preparing your tools before starting the job makes the work safer and more effective.
Trimming Branches for Better Access and Safer Cutting
Before you can cut down the main trunk of an arborvitae, you need to clear away the branches. Overgrown arborvitaes typically have dense foliage from the ground up, making it difficult to reach the trunk and impossible to see where you are cutting. Start by trimming the lower branches using loppers for smaller growth. For thicker branches a handsaw or a chainsaw may be necessary. When operating a chainsaw you must wear proper personal protective equipment including chain saw chaps, heavy-duty gloves, a face shield or safety glasses, and hearing protection. These items are not optional; a chainsaw kickback or a falling branch can cause life-changing injuries in a split second.
As you remove branches, stack or haul them away from the immediate work zone. Keeping the ground clear of debris prevents tripping hazards and gives you room to maneuver when cutting the trunk. Work methodically from the bottom up, cutting branches close to the trunk. If an arborvitae is particularly tall, you may also want to remove some of the upper branches to reduce the weight and make the tree fall more predictably. Popular landscaping resources like Fine Gardening offer additional guidance on pruning techniques for large evergreens, which can help you decide how much canopy to remove before felling the tree.
Using the Bird Mouth Cut Technique for Thick Trunks
Once the branches are cleared, you can focus on cutting down the main trunk. For arborvitaes with trunks thicker than a few inches, a straight horizontal cut is not the safest approach. Instead, landscape professionals use a technique called a bird mouth cut or notch cut. This method gives you control over the direction the tree falls and prevents the trunk from pinching your saw blade.
To make a bird mouth cut, start at about 4 to 5 feet above ground level. Make a level cut horizontally into the trunk, going roughly halfway through the diameter. Then, make a second cut angling upward at 45 degrees to meet the end of the first cut, removing a wedge-shaped chunk of wood. This notch should face the direction you want the tree to fall. Once the wedge is removed, move to the opposite side of the trunk and make your back cut slightly above the hinge point of the notch. As you cut through the remaining wood, the tree will begin to lean and fall toward the open side of the notch. If the tree seems as though it will fall in the wrong direction, tie a rope high up on the trunk and have a helper pull it while you complete the back cut. Having the right workshop skills for tricky angled cuts can also help in other projects, such as How To Make Spray Paint Can Caps Easier To Remove A Simple Workshop Modification, where understanding leverage and angles makes a difficult task much simpler.
Removing the Stump and Root System
After the tree is down, the stump and root system remain. Arborvitaes have fibrous, spreading root systems that can extend well beyond the drip line of the tree. Leaving the roots in the ground can cause issues if you plan to plant new trees or shrubs in the same spot, as decomposing roots create voids in the soil and the remaining stump may attract pests like termites or carpenter ants.
Begin by digging around the stump with a shovel to expose the larger roots radiating outward. Use a pickaxe or a grub axe to break up compacted soil around the root ball. For thick, stubborn roots that resist manual effort, switch to a reciprocating saw fitted with a pruning blade. Do not use a chainsaw for cutting roots near or below ground level. Contact with dirt will instantly dull the chain and creates a serious risk of dangerous kickback if the chain catches on buried debris. Cut through the exposed roots with the reciprocating saw, then rock the stump back and forth using a pry bar to loosen it from the ground. Once the main roots are severed, you should be able to lift the stump out with relative ease. Maintaining your equipment after this tough work is essential, and Best Ways To Remove Water From Equipment Oil provides practical steps for keeping your power tools in good working order after heavy use in damp soil conditions.
| Tool | Best Use | Safety Note |
|---|---|---|
| Loppers | Cutting branches up to 1.5 inches thick | Keep blades sharp for clean cuts |
| Chainsaw | Felling the main trunk and thick branches | Always wear chaps, gloves, eye and hearing protection |
| Reciprocating saw | Cutting roots below ground level | Use pruning blades; never use a chainsaw in dirt |
| Pickaxe or grub axe | Breaking up compacted soil around roots | Watch for buried utilities marked by 811 service |
| Shovel | General digging and exposing root structure | Choose a sharp spade for cutting through smaller roots |
| Pry bar | Leveraging the stump out of the ground | Use steady pressure rather than jerking motions |
| Rototiller | Mixing compost into the soil after removal | Clear the area of rocks and large roots first |
Restoring the Soil for Future Planting
With the stump and major roots removed, the hole left behind needs attention before new plants can go in. Arborvitaes are heavy feeders that deplete soil nutrients over the years, and the soil around them is often compacted from foot traffic, lawn maintenance, and the tree canopy shedding rainwater away from the base. Simply backfilling the hole with the same old dirt will leave your new plants struggling to establish roots.
Take the time to remove as many remaining small roots from the soil as possible. These leftover roots will decompose over time, but removing them now prevents settlement issues later. Spread a generous layer of organic compost over the entire area and mix it into the existing soil to a depth of about 5 inches using a rototiller or a garden fork. Well-rotted compost improves soil structure, adds beneficial microorganisms, and provides the nutrients that new plants need to establish quickly. If you are also dealing with buried obstacles elsewhere on your property, the approach described in How To Remove A Boulder From Your Yard Using Traditional Splitting Methods can help you handle large underground obstructions that a tiller cannot break through.
After amending the soil, rake the bed smooth and water it thoroughly to help the compost settle. Let the area rest for a few days before planting. This settling period allows you to see if any additional soil is needed and gives the compost time to begin integrating with the native soil. For further reading on soil preparation techniques, the RHS guide to soil and composts offers reliable advice on choosing the right amendments for different soil types and planting goals.
Replanting and Final Cleanup
Once the soil is prepared, you can replant the shrubs and flowers that you removed and stored at the beginning of the project. Dig holes slightly wider than each root ball but no deeper, place the plants at the same soil level they were growing at before, backfill with your amended soil, and water them in well. If you are introducing new plants to the area, choose species that will not outgrow the space the way the arborvitaes did. Consider the mature width and height of any new tree or shrub and give it enough room to grow without encroaching on your home, walkways, or neighboring plants.
Dispose of the arborvitae debris responsibly. Many municipalities offer green waste collection or have yard waste drop-off centers where the material is chipped into mulch. The branches and trunk can also be cut into firewood after seasoning, though arborvitae resin can be messy to handle. Do not leave piles of arborvitae debris sitting on your lawn for long, as the dense foliage can smother the grass underneath. If your removal project is part of a larger landscape renovation, you may also find the guidance in Window Well Replacement Step By Step Instructions To Remove And Install A Basement Window Well useful for tackling other exterior improvements around your home at the same time.
Removing overgrown arborvitaes is a demanding but manageable project for an experienced DIYer. By following a systematic approach calling 811 first, protecting desirable plants, using proper cutting techniques, and restoring the soil you can clear the way for a better landscape design. The effort you put into removing the trees and their root systems properly will pay off when your new plantings thrive in the rejuvenated soil for years to come.